The Shreveport Mudbugs (1-0) never trailed in the game and got a great from their netminder to grind past the El Paso Rhinos, 4-2 in front of a sold out crowd at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Friday night.
SHV got on the board at 3:47 of the opening period when Kyan Haldenby cut into the slot and backhanded home the first goal of these playoffs for the Bugs to give them an early 1-0 lead. ELP answered back at the 9:00 mark when Ryan Gingher took a loose puck off a faceoff draw and shot in a goal to even the score, 1-1. The Rhinos led in SOG, 11-7 after one.
SHV regained the lead at 1:44 of the second when Brent Litchard raced through the slot and punched in his first goal of the playoffs to make it a 2-1 contest. Lucas Deeb earned the assist. After ELP tied it again w/ a goal from Jakub Jerman at 5:17, SHV had yet another answer on their end. It was Lucas Deeb deflecting a shot in front from Brent Litchard which rolled into the net giving the Bugs the lead back at 3-2 at 8:46. ELP led in SOG, 20-17 after two.
ELP would put a push in the third period, but Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau made some big stops late in the game to keep the Bugs in front. Hayden Nichol would slice in the EN goal at 19:27 to help the SHV put away SHV, 4-2.
Seguin-Lescarbeau made 30 stops to earn his first win in these playoffs and help the Bugs take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-five South Divisional Semifinal series.
The Bugs and Rhinos will continue their best-of-five semifinal playoff series w/ Game 2 tomorrow night. The first 1,000 fans will receive rally towels w/ puck drop scheduled for 7:11 p.m. from George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.